She was sitting alone at the table, naturally exuding an aura of tranquility and solitude. Her entire body was enveloped in a loose robe worn by wizards. However, judging from her petite frame that radiated youthful charm, she should have been a rather young girl.
A glass of unknown orange-colored juice sat before her. At the moment, she had lowered her head, hiding her face beneath the hood, making it impossible to see her true appearance.
OMG, what was that in her hand? I rubbed my eyes carefully — no mistake, thank heavens, it was a bone staff! This was the first time I'd ever seen a weapon used by a wizard.
Weapons belonging to the wizard class were generally extremely valuable, not only because of their low drop rates but also due to the attributes they carried. Unlike other melee weapons, even if these items were plain white-quality gear, they could still possess highly useful skill-boosting properties. Sometimes, a good plain white-quality wizard staff could be more valuable than a golden one, which might explain why bone staffs dropped so infrequently.
And yet, this figure held in her hands the very bone staff favored by necromancers. Goodness, how had she managed not to get mugged or killed by jealous necromancers?
Perhaps hearing my footsteps, her body suddenly trembled. Already small in stature, she now curled up like a frightened kitten, her hands gripping the bone staff turning pale.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?"
I tried to keep my tone as gentle as possible. Seeing this mysterious little figure seem to tense up further, with the bone staff in her hands threateningly poised as though ready to strike me at any second, I found myself in a bit of a bind. Walking away now would damage my pride as a man.
"P-please... feel free," she replied hesitantly, pulling herself back slightly. Finally, she stammered out her consent.
What a sweet voice! Just as I suspected, she must indeed be a young girl, and likely quite beautiful too. I thought to myself. A pretty voice alone could make an average-looking girl seem pleasant, so unless this girl's appearance was truly hideous, she had to be stunning.
Without hesitation, I sat down beside her and casually ordered a low-alcohol beer from the waiter. Fortunately, Lahr had slipped me a few gold coins before leaving — if I spent them carefully, I wouldn't have to worry about food and lodging for the next few days.
Glancing at the little girl beside me, she still looked uneasy, her grip on the bone staff showing no signs of loosening. Did I really look that much like the Big Bad Wolf?
"My name is Wu Fan. I'm 23 years old, and I've just become a druid."
Perhaps because I remained calm after sitting down, or maybe because of my gentle tone, the girl hesitated briefly before finally speaking from under her wide-brimmed hood, her voice clear and crisp.
"L-Linnea Elders Spryfield, a wizard. I just changed classes two months ago," she said, her voice slightly hurried and nervous. She was clearly still anxious. Sigh, could it really be that I lacked charisma?
"Eh?" I nearly spat out the beer I had just taken a sip of. Had I heard correctly? A wizard?
When I saw her holding the bone staff, I naturally assumed she was a necromancer. Never did I expect her to actually be a wizard.
But thinking about it, there wasn't anything particularly strange. It was already fortunate enough to obtain a weapon; expecting it to be one perfectly suited to your own profession would be greedy. Earlier on my way here, I even saw several wizards wielding wooden sticks and daggers dressed up like shadowy assassins.
Besides, even a bone staff offered better physical attack power and lighter weight compared to the crude wooden stick handed out freely upon initial class change. Therefore, it wasn't unusual at all for a wizard to wield a bone staff. It seemed I had overreacted.
Still, didn't that feel somewhat wasteful? This was a coveted weapon among necromancers, possibly enhanced with multiple skills, yet now being used by a wizard like a simple club.
"That's amazing! Considering your age, you can't be older than seventeen or eighteen, and you've already completed your class change. I'm twenty-three and changed classes two months later. People still call me a genius — looks like I'm more of a born idiot!" To cover up my embarrassment at my earlier reaction, I half-jokingly said with feigned sadness. Truthfully, seeing her age had somewhat shaken my confidence.
"Ha..." Indeed, she was an innocent girl unfamiliar with the ways of the world. Even such a simple joke made her laugh.
"Ahh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you!" After laughing aloud, she quickly realized her impropriety, hastily stood straight, and began bowing repeatedly toward me.
At the moment she lifted her head, I finally caught sight of the face hidden beneath the hood.
What a pure and delicate face!
Several strands of slightly curly dark green hair spilled from the edge of her hood. Her large sky-blue eyes were completely free of impurity. Her fair and translucent skin framed lips gently pursed into a small pink mouth. The first impression she gave off was sweetness, followed by honey-like warmth. That rich, sweet aroma spread through my entire body, giving rise to a feeling known simply as "liking."
"Oh, don't worry about it. Stop bowing already, or you'll sprain your back."
"S-sorry, sorry..." After hearing me speak, the lovely girl bowed numerous times again before stopping. Then she said something that excited me greatly.
"I'm fine, really. Although I'm not as strong as a warrior, we wizards do undergo certain training too. My waist is quite flexible and won't hurt easily, please don't worry."
Under normal circumstances, anyone else saying such words might sound like bragging. Yet coming from this beautiful girl, the words sounded nothing but reassuring, without even a hint of self-praise.
Could there really be such a pure and adorable woman in this world?
Seeing me stand there dazed, the cute girl mistakenly thought I didn't believe her and became flustered. Her small face flushed red, biting her lip as though she had made up her mind.
"I really am not lying. If you want... y-you can touch and check..." As soon as she finished speaking, her entire face turned red like a ripe persimmon, buried deeply against her chest. Still, she bravely took a step forward, offering her fragile waist directly in front of me.
Looking at her adorable, blushing face resembling a bright red persimmon, her cute nose flaring rapidly from anxiety, her breath quickening until the soft curves hidden beneath her oversized wizard robe proudly rose, proving themselves far less modest than their petite owner.
OMG — a surefire fatal scene! At that moment, I truly wanted to reach out and touch — although not her waist, but rather her precious little head. Such a lovely girl deserved every ounce of care a man could offer.
Thus, my right hand extended toward her head, gently stroking it through the wizard hat.
After some time, noticing the cute girl still staring blankly at me, I realized my actions had been too forward. Embarrassed, I smiled and withdrew my right hand.
"Please, sit down. Don't always stand," I said, taking the initiative.
"Y-yes... o-okay, thanks..." The lovely girl snapped out of her trance, immediately plopping herself onto the chair. Her head dipped even lower than before, while the poor bone staff in her hands suffered under the twisting grip of her pale fingers, making me worry its durability might deplete entirely.
Observing the girl's innocent and awkward demeanor, I launched into several jokes from my previous world.
How could an innocent girl resist someone like me, who had long experience navigating online interactions? Initially, she maintained a reserved posture, keeping her head bowed silently.
But soon, she couldn't help but start laughing continuously, her eyes remaining narrowed throughout without fully opening. Honestly, the girl looked incredibly charming when she laughed.
Judging from her behavior, it appeared she had received excellent education, each smile and glance carrying special grace.
Unlike the humor typical of the Dark Continent, and considering the girl's apparent naivety, she was quickly cheered up by my stories.
Though she still dared not look directly into my eyes while speaking, at least she no longer seemed shy and hesitant. Our conversation grew livelier.
"Linnea, according to regulations, isn't anyone who changes class before thirty considered a prodigy? You're only eighteen and have already undergone class transformation. Calling yourself not a genius makes me wonder what I am then?"
Unknowingly, I had already drawn within a mere foot of the lovely girl. Her faint virgin fragrance filled my senses — no, it was a scent that could never be savored enough.
Completely unaware that she had unknowingly stepped halfway into a wolf's den, Linnea lowered her head once again upon hearing my words.
"That's not true, Mr. Fan. Didn't you know? Wizards tend to complete their class changes faster than warriors typically do. Warriors can only achieve class promotion through relentless training. For wizards, however, besides practice, noble bloodlines provide significant assistance. So people who attain wizard status by age eighteen aren't uncommon," Linnea explained, nibbling her lip.
"Oh, I see," I responded with sudden understanding, my previously wounded ego feeling much better. There was another factor at play all along. Lahr hadn't mentioned this to me before.
Although what Linnea said was indeed true — wizards possessing superior bloodlines genuinely required far less effort than others — achieving class transformation at eighteen still seemed excessive.
Accomplishing that feat required an impeccable combination of heritage, hard work, and talent.
Individuals who transformed into wizards at age eighteen weren't unheard of, but they certainly weren't common either.
Each one was revered and admired by all fellow wizards. Therefore, labeling Linnea as a genius among geniuses wouldn't be an exaggeration — especially when comparing her to a certain person blessed with sheer luck.
End of Chapter